Finding ever after
by suena
Summary: Two souls bound by the fates in a love that isn't meant for eternity. A cruel joke played by the god's what are they to do with a love that is doomed for tragedy?
1. There you are

**THERE YOU ARE**

_It cuts deep through our ground and makes us forget all common sense. _

_If our love is tragedy, why are you my remedy?_

_If our love is insanity, why are you my clarity?_

It's been said that humans were first created when Zeus molded them from rock as round creatures who walked on four legs, had four arms, two faces and both male and female genitalia. Zeus beheld his new subjects and placed them on earth to worship him and the other Gods of Olympia forever more. These beings were faster than any modern man could ever hope to be and so strong they threatened and rebelled against the very God who had birthed them.

Zeus, enraged with his people flew from the Heavens to Earth and tore the egg-shaped humanoids in half. They no longer had four arms and legs but two, no longer had two faces but one, and each half held the male gene the other female, and while man was given most of the strength woman held most of the brain as well as the power of child-birth.

Frightened at the wrath of their deity, the condemned race sought out and clung to their severed halves and begged Zeus to forgive them.

The King of God's was not a purely malevolent force, and he did not want to destroy the race that had once so faithfully praised and worshiped he and the other gods, but Zeus could not forget the treachery that had been committed. And so with the help of Aphrodite and The Three Sisters of The Fates the god's would take a single woman and man, entwine their souls in a bond never to be broken just before they were born unto this earth. Wherever they may be, they must journey through life to find one another with a pull as mysterious and unpredictable as the wind, their only guide until at last they found one another.

It was one of the god's greater gifts to man, but also one of their most wretched punishments, for if one of the pair was to parish before the souls could be reunited the woman or man left in the world of the living would be doomed to a life spent in heartache, misfortune and loneliness.

And so, Humans, unaware of their precarious situations only of the divine forgiveness of their God's, wondered about their lives in glorious ignorance.

The sweet smell of wild honeysuckle filled Rins' nose as she walked through the old woods surrounding her rented house. The Maple and Chestnut trees consumed the sky above standing tall from years of growth and preservation, under her feet grass grew wild and lustrously covered the ground along with the dead leaves left over from the receding winter months. She could hear the songs of the native birds as they called to one another from different areas of the forest. To her right she could hear the faint sound of a squirrel probing around in the upper branches of the trees for nuts he can drag back to his hollow.

Her shoes crunched over the leaves in plain black sketchers that were laced up tight, her pink and white spaghetti strap shirt which had sweat soaking through the back and underarms, her tan shorts now smudged with dirt on her bottom and hair that had been pulled up in a simple high tail now sagged with loose tendrils escaping their hold and sticking to the perspiration sliding down her flushed cheeks and neck, She made the perfect picture of fatigue.

'So much for a relaxing run,' She thought, 'Can't even imagine what I would do if I had actually twisted my ankle on that damn root. Guess I should be happy I only ate dirt instead.' With that thought she ran her tongue over the crevices within her mouth and spat out remnants of soil.

Following one of the many trails that led her back home she was tired, dirty and ready for a bath. 'That is the last time I try and go for a run through the woods. I don't know how people find it relaxing!' She thought. 'Bugs, twigs, ditches and animals. Yeah woodland creatures my butt.' After walking a few more steps the road widened out and the tree's begun to thin and suddenly the clearing came into view along with her small two bedroom one bath home. The chimney sat perched at the very top of the roof, huge bay windows were her favorite feature of the red brick home. Ivy and small white roses climbed up all four walls, threatening to swallow it within years. With a huff Rin walked up passed the two large red and white rose bushes framing the small porch which was lined with a mosquito net. Two small steps leading her up to the entrance. Pulling the screen door open she quickly dug the house key out from her pocket and walked in.

"There has got to be an easier way to lose weight!" She cried throwing her body onto her traditional cream sofa, she slapped her left arm over her face and sighed kicking off her shoes letting them fall where they pleased. The living room was open, sparsely furnished with her cream colored sofa and matching love seat, a medium sized TV stand with the set perched above it. Two bedrooms were connected to the room by a hall, the master which she slept in was at the end and to the right was her bathroom the left the second smaller bedroom she used as an office space. The other side of the home was the kitchen and to the back a small sun room.

It was the beginning of summer for the year 2013. Rin Hamasaki was 23, single and currently trying to escape reality. After years of writing, from her hastily made up stories as a child in the classroom she was now a successful romance author. New York Times had said she held much promise and was one to keep an eye out for, she'd done several interviews for several womens' magazines. She'd written five books within the past 4 years 3 of which were best sellers while the other two still did fairly well in stores and brought in a steady flow of income. Now here she was stuck on her sixth.

Still blanketed over the couch Rin ran over her last interview, which had already hit the news stands and was also the cause of her current case of writers-block.

_The columnist smiled at Rin when she walked through the door and into the suite. The room was painted a warm beige in an attempt to make the train of interviewees feel more at home Rin guessed giving the woman a smile in return and extending her hand in greetings. "Hello Miss Hamasaki thank you so much for agreeing to meet and give All Access Magazine a chance to get the scoop on America's newest up and coming author! I'm Alyssa Betts, we spoke on the phone last week to set this appointment up and I will be interviewing you today!" Alyssa said, her smile widening, teeth a white Rin was sure came from a dentist with a skilled hand, every brown lock of hair was in place on this woman, and her green eyes were a shade only seen in the deepest most lushest parts of the forests._

_Still smiling, Rin shook her hand, "Thank you for having me, I was really excited when I got the call!"_

"_Trust me, we were more excited when you agreed!" She said laughing. "Now if you would like to take a seat we can begin?"_

_A chair had been set up in the middle of the room for Rin in advance with another facing her for Alyssa. "Sure, go ahead and ask away!" She said taking her purse off her shoulder, settling into the large leather seat leaning against the arm and curling her feet under her bottom._

_Watching Rin and taking notes on her arrangement for future reference, the woman smiled and nodded then began firing off questions, both personal and professional._

_And so for the next hour Rin talked, she told the woman everything there was to know about herself. From how she grew up as an only child, losing her parents at just 8 years old, about Kaede, the aging woman who adopted her to the workings of her mind, what influences her and drives her to write. And finally with just one more question left, Rin was beginning to stand and stretch her legs._

"_You've said before that you've never been in a relationship yet you can write so clearly the emotions involved when one is actually in love. How is that?"_

_Blushing Rin laughed bashfully. "Alyssa, I'm a woman. And before a woman grows, what is she?" _

_The woman blinked a bit taken back at a question being directed at her for once, "Well she is a child."_

_Snapping her fingers, Rin nodded, "Exactly! And as a child we dream of what love will be like, what it will feel like! I dream about it, and isn't that what an Author is anyway? A dreamer? Isn't that what everyone is, we only delve deeper into those dreams and put them into words." Grabbing her bag Rin smiled shaking the womans' hand once again, "Thank you for having me!"_

And now here she was. Three months later and still pondering the question. 'How am I going to keep up when I haven't been in love?' She had never sought it outright like some women but simply sat on the sidelines reasoning that if it was meant to happen it would. 'God,' She whispered, 'Am I damned to be alone?'

And just then she heard a knock at the door.

Grumbling she slid her hand off her face and rolled off the couch. "Who is it?" She yelled.

She got no reply but continued on to the door. Peeking out the window she shrugged and continued on to her ramblings, this time in the kitchen with the intent to find and ravish a box of Oreo cookies she knew would be in the pantry. When she heard the knock again.

'What the fuck?' Turning back and less sure this time Rin walked into the living room, grabbing a steel bat she had leaning against the wall next to the door for one of those 'just in case,' moments she had always doubted she'd ever have. "Who is it?" She yelled, but again there was no reply. The wind picked up then with it came a queer howling. 'No that's a... that sounds more like a roar...' She stood still listening again, with the wind she heard the splattering of rain drops. A heavy shower, the kind that falls fast and hard drenching a landscape in seconds. She had been standing still and quiet long enough now to begin doubting that she'd even heard the roar at all and was already turning back towards the kitchen when it came again this time louder. So loud Rin felt her heart stop, the hair on her arms raise and the faintest vibration on the hardwood floor.

And so like any other self respecting human being she dropped her safety bat and ran to peek out the window. 'What the hell was that!?' She wondered. Looking around the woods surrounding her home, 'The forest goes for at least 30 miles in either direction... what kind of animal makes that sound? A wolf? A mountain lion?' She felt it this time. The rumbling. Deep in her bones first, startling her and setting inside her muscles, stretching out to the tips of her fingers. She felt it with every fiber of her being.

It wasn't a roar she realized with a start. It was a cry. The sound a dying animal makes... and it was calling for her.

"No." Rin said shaking the feeling off, "No, that's stupid." She reasoned, 'Go out there and come back with a fever for my trouble.' Turning back around she found herself back in the kitchen with every intention to get the cookies and sit herself down at her desk to try and finish the story line she'd been working on for the passed 5 months.

She'd settled in trying to ignore the unsettled feeling in her stomach. The shower was now a full blown storm, lightening flashed and thunder cracked, adding to Rin's unease. Reaching for her computer she turned on the power and waited for it to start up. Reaching for her memory stick she first checked her email. Reassuring her publisher that indeed she was working on her next novel and that she would be more than happy to give details when she finished planning it. Switched over to her fan base email and answered a few messages sent to her and then returned to the task at hand. Pulling up the skeleton of what was supposed to be her next hit she could only sit and stare at the screen.

Over the years she had never faced a case of writers block, words had always been easy to string together, easy to manipulate and so easy to type! She could not make the words come, could not reach out and grasp even a sentence. Disheartened, Rin closed her laptop, pushed her rolling chair away from the large oak wood desk she'd inherited from Kaede and walked out of the office taking her snack with her.

Still nibbling on the cookies Rin put them back in the pantry and walked into the sun room to watch the raging weather through the glass walls. 'What could it have been?' She wondered taking a seat on the porch swing she had set up, looking up at the ceiling, watching the drops hit the roof then slide down, off the side and drip down turning into a steady stream bathing the earth bellow. She hadn't heard a thing but the rain since she went to her office, and somewhere inside her she still felt that all encompassing curiosity. 'It killed the cat.' She laughed. Laying down she closed her eyes ignoring all but the soothing sound of the rain and the smooth rocking motion of the swing.

Before she knew it she was asleep.

_Snow? No...this is...this is hair! It was all around her, cascading over her shoulders... she followed the ends to the root and found the most beautiful face she'd ever seen. Ethereal even. Unreal. _

_The man was looking back down at her, his eyes... liquid gold... like nothing she'd ever seen. He was leaning over her, arms laced with muscles were on either side of her head, his hands cradled her head and his body was pressed intimately to hers, his torso settled between her legs, his chest pressed against hers. He opened his mouth and whispered something to her just before leaning down and closing his lips over her neck. _

_She felt her own mouth open in response to let out a moan of ecstasy but what came out shook her to the core... it felt as though it would burst the heart beating within her chest, louder than thunder itself. She opened her mouth and she roared. _

Shooting up from the nap and shaking the swing Rin gasped and reached out her arm to steady herself succeeding in only falling to the floor. Laying there still trying to catch her breath she studied her surroundings. The rain was now a slow drizzle and the sun was almost set. Pulling out her cell she checked the time.

6:48PM 5/03/13

Shaking herself from the dream Rin stood on unsteady knees unsure of why she was so shaken. 'What a dream...' She thought caught in the wonder of it when her thoughts were cut off.

Snapping to attention Rin watched the birds in the distance scatter from the trees for a safe haven at the sound of the ominous bellow. 'No... no, no, no, no, no!' Her mind screamed. But she knew she had to see. She knew she had to seek out the creature who created such a stir but that didn't mean she wanted to in the least.

Walking into her bedroom, Rin entered the closet and picked up an oversized black and purple college pull over sweater. She made her way back to the living room for her shoes, picking them up where she'd kicked them off.

She tied the lace and stood. Steeling herself for the rain and mud she was sure to encounter Rin checked her phone she'd enclosed in a plastic sandwich bag to ensure it not get wet and made sure she had her keys in the other pocket. 'I am such an idiot.' She thought before pulling her hood up and walking out into the rain.

The world around her was drenched, the bark of the trees were near black, and no sounds could be heard. Birds did not call, squirrels and chipmunks were nestled up for the day, hiding from the storm as Rin herself should be doing. 'Noooo! Instead here I am trampling around the country side in search of a beast that might not even be there.'

Heading in the direction she'd seen the birds leave Rin grit her teeth and faught her instinct to turn back around and run. Far and fast.

She'd read somewhere that it was never a good idea to sneak up on an animal so she was sure to splash every puddle, trample every twig and rustle every bush in sight.

But the forest was still. There was no roar, not even a hushed whimpering of a wounded animal.

'What a bust.' Rin complained after fruitlessly searching for thirty minutes. 'Well now I know at least.' She ready to begin making her way back home. She looked up and mentally calculated how long she had before the sun set. 'I got a good hour. I should be ok.' She figured turning and promptly tripping over a leg.

"WHOA!" She screamed falling face first for the second time that day into the mud this time. Instead of tasting the mucky soil though she found herself being pulled back so that instead she fell back into the grass and decidedly on her rear. "Omph!" She groaned when she hit her bottom.

Quickly turning to see what she'd fallen over Rin screamed when she found herself staring into the liquid pupils she'd seen only in her dream. "Oh m-my god." She whispered standing back up, her body trembling.

The man sat propped against a tree, his eyes trained on her lips set in a firm frown. He was as beautiful now as he'd been in her dreams, only in her dreams he'd been naked. Whereas now he wore a simple white robe, held closed by a thin gold belt, no shoes, no umbrella, not even a jacket.

'Wait... How is he not wet..? His hair is completely dry, his clothes aren't even dirty and he's sitting on the floor.' Rin noticed. She looked back up into his eyes completely unnerved and completely captivated. The world seemed to stand still, the rain fell slower now, her senses increased eyes ears nose. She could suddenly smell the damp earth, hear the pounding of her heart and see each rain drop as it fell from the sky. Her world shifted and she could feel her heart stop dead now, she could feel her legs taking the steps until she was kneeling before him on her hands and knees staring into his golden gaze.

Taking her in before him, he seemed as unconcerned as she was enraptured. "Why did you come." He demanded.

Shocked at how good his voice sounded Rin could only think to say one thing, "Because you called."

**-TBC**

**SUENA: **I do not own Inuyasha or any characters affiliated with the series. The song at the beginning of this is called, "Clarity," By Zedd its a song which inspired me throughout the making of this chapter and the whole story itself. Read and Review Please!


	2. If I lose myself

**LOSE MYSELF**

"_I stared up at the sun,__  
__Thought of all of the people, places and things I've loved.__  
__I stared up just to see__  
__With all of the faces, you were the one next to me."_

The rain continued to fall down around them, but neither felt or cared. Rin could only stare at him, she could only try and catch her breath and try and decipher the feelings bursting from within her chest.

The man gave her a small smile and turned away to look up at the sky, "I guess I did." He leaned his head back on the tree, that's when she noticed his ears.

They were as light as the rest of his body, riding his strong jaw and pointed like the nymphs she'd read about in fairy tails. Her shoes were soaked through, she could feel her socks paste themselves to her feet as she took a step closer. Brow furrowed, lips slightly parted she tilted her head trying to understand the creature in before her. "What are you?" She whispered taking another step.

The man laughed and looked back down at her, "I am what you are thinking and I am not." He answered. "In your day and age I shouldn't be surprised you aren't aware." Watching her he sighed, "Come closer if you wish human." He could see her knees quaking, hear the rapid beating of her heart, smell the scent of chamomile wafting from her hair. She wasn't a striking human, plain faced really, her hair was brown, eyes hazel. He guessed that should set her apart a bit but after millenniums of being in the company of the most beautiful women he supposed it would be unfair to cast judgment on a mere mortal. 'Damn you, Eros.' He cursed the god silently.

She took him in fully now at a closer distance, high on his cheekbones sat two dramatic stripes, she could see the crease of his eyelids held the same stunning mark. But set in the middle of his forehead framed by moonlight hair was a crescent. Dark purple. 'It's just...there. Who would get a tattoo like that?' Rin wondered looking back down at the rest of her face gasping when she found him staring intently back at her. She couldn't look away. Her mouth went dry and she found her body aching to touch his.

She reached out then, fueled by some unknown force and brushed his cheek with her knuckles, reveling in the smoothness of his skin.

All the while he kept his eyes focused on hers, she in turn never broke the contact. He let her touch his cheek and mentally groaned for he could feel the fates turning the tides within his heart, he could feel them string this woman, unbeknownst to the war raging within the heavens, entwine herself in his being. "What is your name?"

"Rin." She answered as she continued to run her fingers over his face. Observing the flecks of gold in his eyes, the intensity of them. The thick lashes framing his eyes to the red shadows on his lids. He was seated on the earth while she leaned just the slightest bit above him. 'He must be friggin tall...' She thought.

Without warning he reached out, capturing her face in his hands he brought her down. She collapsed to her knees landing with one leg on either side of his body so she was straddling him. She steadied herself with her hands on both his shoulders, she could feel the muscles beneath and shivered in delight. Their bodies were pressed intimately together, he could feel the rise and fall of her chest on his and she could feel his breath brush against her cheeks.

He simply held her there, searching her face cursing his luck when he found no ounce of disgust, no trace of disdain. "You are human, I am a demon." He told her, the faintest hint of tragedy in his tone, before finally bringing her mouth to his.

She never even thought to fight it. Her mind went blank, the only thing she could register was the feel of his lips on hers, his mouth suckling her bottom lip, nipping at it with his teeth. Excitement buzzed through her system as she wrapped her arms around his neck, pressed her body closer to his and let her fingers tangle in his hair.

'This is insane...' She thought opening her mouth to his, feeling his tongue slide in, tasting her. 'I don't even know his name...' She wrapped her legs around his waist and groaned at the feel of his lips taking hold of her tongue and sucking. 'Wait... demon?'

Quickly untangling her fingers from his hair Rin pushed against his chest succeeding in only landing on her rear once more. "What..." She gasped trying to catch her breath from the kiss, "What did you say?"

He gazed down at her, his body still eyes unblinking as he began to stand. She gazed up at him from the ground her neck craning back, he seemed to stretch forever. "I am the great dog demon, Sesshomaru."

"Ok, just making sure I heard you right!" Rin said meaning to sound collected. Instead she heard her voice tremble, laughing softly she slowly stood up. Her legs were shaking, from either the kiss or just the presence of the man in front of her, she did not know. Looking at him she waited just a beat too long, and in that instant he knew before she did that she was going to turn and run.

Rin gasped as one arm wound itself around her waist and the other pressed her body back into him, his hand held her jaw in an iron grip. He held her face like a child who's attention kept wavering. She could feel the growl reverberate throughout his chest into her ear. "Did I say you could leave?"

Her mouth gaped open, 'How could he have moved so fast? He can't be normal!' Then she felt it. Dripping down her arm onto her leg. "Your bleeding!" She yelped pushing up the sleeve of the robe he wore which was now drenched in bright red blood quickly turning into a darker maroon as more gushed out. "Your bleeding a lot!" She gasped looking at the deep gash along his right arm, "Oh my god! Come on lets go get help!" Pulling his left hand she started trying to drag him along with her.

"Leave it." He said shrugging her off and letting her go.

She felt the cool wind whip around her as soon as he let go. Startled she grabbed for him once more. "Wait... That's not going to heal on its own, let me help you!" She said thoughtlessly entwining his fingers in hers and blushing the second she did.

He glared at her for a few moments before closing his eyes accepting her tentative tug.

"Can you walk?" She asked softly staring at their hands, his so long and elegant, hers covered in mud and dirt. "I have an off-road jeep I could just come and pick you up here if you need to sit back down." She said looking again at his arm.

"No." He said shrugging off her attention and walking ahead of her, towards her home.

"Okay... how do you know your going the right way?" Rin asked incredulously.

He didn't answer, just continued walking.

She studied him as they made their way, careful to be sure and ready to catch him if need be but mostly she just notice his hair, loose and glorious even in the light cast by setting sun as it strained to reach through the overcast sky. His gait was fast, while she struggled to keep up, jogging and pacing along trying not to trip over a wayward twig or slip in the multitude of mud puddles while he walked smoothly through the foliage as though he weren't even walking at all but floating.

"So your a demon..." She stated, "How long has that been?"

"Human, do not goad me." He warned giving her a sharp glare from the corner of his eye. "There are God's who have died for doing less."

Holding up her hands, Rin shrugged, "Sure, Sure... And so what has you here on Earth?"

Again he did not answer, opting to ignore her instead.

'How am I going to get him back to town before dark? There's no way I can let him stay the night he'll kill me in his sleep playing human slayer!' She thought rolling her eyes when she noticed even more markings on his wrists.

When they reached her home she nodded toward his feet while she unlocked the door, "Let me find a towel first for you to walk on so you don't get mud...on... the... Oh." Perplexed, she stared at his feet. 'How in the hell did he not get caked in mud?' Then she looked at him and once again, she noticed he was not even wet, his hair was dry. She gasped, her body going weak, her hand still clutching the doorknob as she noticed the blood that had been running down his arm soaking his sleeve not even 10 minutes before was no longer there. "Y-Your arm!"

"Are you beginning to understand, Rin?" Sesshomaru asked turning and walking back out into the rain which had turned to a slow drizzle. "I am going to show you something, woman. To prove that I am what I say I am." With that he faced her again.

Terrified she starred into the blood red eyes gazing into her own. The iris, once a warm golden color, now a cool dark blue stretched upward until they became diamonds like those of a wild cat and begun to expand. There was a terrible crackling, like the sound of bone's breaking, 'No... re-arranging...' Rin thought too frightened to even take a breath. His jaw stretched breaking the illusion of the beautiful man and letting the beast unfold. Fur sprouted from every inch of his body, he bent like a willow to the wind, his legs shortening while at the same time growing. A horrific howl shot from the demon's mouth as the man took hold of his true form. And then there he was.

A huge animal stood where the man once was, mouth agape, tongue lolling from its lips, eyes focused solely on her. A snowy white, long eared canine with a tightly muscled body now made up the man.

Rin watched the magnificent creature in complete horror. "Oh...my... god." She whispered pressing her body tightly against the door.

And in the blink of an eye smoke engulfed the dog's body, pouring from all over until it was fully concealed. When it finally cleared there he stood, as though nothing had happened.

Rin pointed, mouth agape with no sound coming out, eyes wild focusing only on him and promptly fainted, her body hitting the ground with a firm thud.

Sesshomaru watched her and growled. 'What am I supposed to do with this nuisance at my heels?' He walked forward and starred down at Rin's unconscious body.

She was now covered head to toe in dirt, mud and grass stains. Soaked to the bone, she looked about the most pathetic creature Sesshomaru had ever set eyes on. 'This is to be my mate.' Closing his eyes he considered his options.

It took less than a moment for him to decide.

He took a step back, flexed the muscles in his fingers, and crouched, coiling his body like a cobra ready to strike. A menacing growl tore through his chest, as his lips pulled back bearing his teeth. The very tips of his fingers begun to glow a dark green, and then, a split second before he could rip through her heart the wind shifted. Her scent filled his nostrils and she groaned, her lips parting momentarily.

Stunned he felt the overwhelming urge to pounce on her with an all too different motive. Instead he roared and struck. Hitting the ground next to her head leaving a deep, wide hole.

Startled into reality, Rin sat up, her face inches away from his. She gaped at him, then at the hole next to her, then back to him.

Opening her mouth she let out a scream.

**SUENA: The song at the beginning of the story is called 'If I Lose Myself,' By One Republic **

**I don't own Inuyasha.**


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